Births and deaths per year in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Births and deaths per year was 70,114 deaths in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
70,114 deaths
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
97th
of 236 countries
All-time high
96,882 deaths
in 1999
All-time low
68,806 deaths
in 1953
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Births and deaths per year in Sierra Leone, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for births and deaths per year in Sierra Leone is 70,114 deaths, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, births and deaths per year in Sierra Leone peaked at 96,882 deaths in 1999 and was at its lowest, 68,806 deaths, in 1953.
That places Sierra Leone 97th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Births and deaths per year in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 68,975 deaths | — |
| 1951 | 68,920 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1952 | 68,812 deaths | -0.2% |
| 1953 | 68,806 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1954 | 69,001 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1955 | 69,284 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1956 | 69,663 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 69,893 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1958 | 70,298 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 70,575 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1960 | 70,690 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1961 | 70,866 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1962 | 71,084 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 71,271 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 71,362 deaths | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 71,317 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 71,115 deaths | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 71,069 deaths | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 71,318 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 71,558 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 71,964 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 72,172 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 72,512 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 72,773 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 73,150 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 73,172 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 73,428 deaths | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 73,722 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 74,228 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 74,760 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 75,321 deaths | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 76,108 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 76,991 deaths | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 78,106 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 79,448 deaths | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 81,060 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 82,861 deaths | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 84,230 deaths | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 86,224 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 88,277 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 90,099 deaths | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 96,316 deaths | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 92,516 deaths | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 91,844 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 93,723 deaths | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 94,556 deaths | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 91,044 deaths | -3.7% |
| 1997 | 91,402 deaths | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 94,992 deaths | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 96,882 deaths | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 88,508 deaths | -8.6% |
| 2001 | 89,893 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 93,716 deaths | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 94,781 deaths | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 94,773 deaths | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 93,667 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 91,016 deaths | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 90,317 deaths | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 89,412 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 88,668 deaths | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 88,064 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 87,171 deaths | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 86,545 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 84,472 deaths | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 84,802 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 81,635 deaths | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 77,599 deaths | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 76,228 deaths | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 73,099 deaths | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 72,604 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 73,734 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 72,817 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 70,547 deaths | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 70,114 deaths | -0.6% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 70,114 deaths is below the median for low income countries, which is 183,374 deaths, 38% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 70,114 deaths is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 109,128 deaths, 64% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 69,423 deaths | 68,806 deaths | 70,575 deaths | 10 |
| 1960s | 71,165 deaths | 70,690 deaths | 71,558 deaths | 10 |
| 1970s | 73,188 deaths | 71,964 deaths | 74,760 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 80,863 deaths | 75,321 deaths | 88,277 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 93,337 deaths | 90,099 deaths | 96,882 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 91,475 deaths | 88,508 deaths | 94,781 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 81,222 deaths | 72,604 deaths | 88,064 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 71,803 deaths | 70,114 deaths | 73,734 deaths | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 94 Switzerland 73,789 deaths compare
- 95 Togo 71,800 deaths compare
- 96 Dominican Republic 70,827 deaths compare
- 98 Azerbaijan 67,841 deaths compare
- 99 Papua New Guinea 67,700 deaths compare
- 100 Finland 59,984 deaths compare
More health data for Sierra Leone
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.34 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.773 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,209 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.6447 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0663 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.6611 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0676 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is births and deaths per year in Sierra Leone?
- Births and deaths per year in Sierra Leone was 70,114 deaths in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest births and deaths per year recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 96,882 deaths in 1999.
- What is the lowest births and deaths per year recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 68,806 deaths in 1953.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for births and deaths per year?
- Sierra Leone ranks 97th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is births and deaths per year rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Births and deaths per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of deaths in a calendar year.